The present invention relates to a washer but more particularly a washer for washing material in industrial applications.
In industries such as food technology or mineral processing washing and screening systems are generally utilised to clean and separate raw materials from unwanted matter. For example, many vegetables must be cleaned of dirt etc following harvesting.
Traditionally washing systems include the processes of transportation, washing and screening. Transportation of the material through the washing system is usually achieved by a conveyor-type system. Conventional sprays (water or chemical solutions) may then wash material on the conveyor or in a shaker screen system which separates particles into various size ranges.
These traditional systems involve a large number of mechanical moving parts, therefore a high level of maintenance is required dependent upon the application and the environment within which the system is used. Furthermore, in the food technology sector, it is difficult to establish and maintain acceptable hygiene standards using available equipment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a washer that combines the separate processes of transportation and cleaning required by conventional washer systems into a single process thereby overcoming or going some way to overcoming the problems outlined above.
In one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a washer system including a housing, a series of opposing spray nozzles mounted within said housing, said spray nozzles in operation being supplied with fluid under pressure and means to allow material to be processed to enter the housing, wherein said material to be processed becomes substantially suspended between said opposing spray nozzles under fluid pressure, the spray nozzles being disposed at an angle to the direction the material to be processed is transported through said housing to thereby cause movement of the material to be processed through the housing.
The washer of the present invention is described herein with reference to a preferred embodiment. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the washer of the present invention may take on several alternative forms and be applicable to a wide range of industries. Furthermore, the basic principles of construction may be combined with additional processing systems as required. It is also anticipated that modifications to the operating specifications of the washer are likely depending on the application. Particularly, the operating pressure of the washer will be varied in order to perform a washing function on different materials.